Soto, Chirinos fill void competently behind the plate

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have won nine of their last 14 games. That's significant because those 14 games took place while catcher A.J. Pierzynski was on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle in his right rib cage.

The Rangers were able to survive and thrive because of the work of Geovany Soto and Robinson Chirinos. Soto was 9-for-38 with two home runs and five RBIs, while Chirinos was 3-for-12. The Rangers won all three games that Chirinos started. In the past 12 games, there have been no errors or passed balls charged to a Rangers catcher and there was just three stolen bases against them.

"Soto started picking it up after he started playing regularly," manager Ron Washington said. "Chirinos, we didn't know what we had, but he showed he could handle anybody, he gives a good at-bat, the ball didn't get past him and he received the ball very well. It's nice to know he's down there."

The Rangers remain the only American League team without a passed ball charged to their catchers. The Rangers had also allowed just 17 stolen bases, the fourth fewest in the league and their catchers had committed just two errors, tied for the fourth fewest in the league.